Companionship device

ABSTRACT

A bed covering with a preprinted image of a companion in a realistic pose lying on the bed covering is provided. A pillow covering or pillow is also printed with the head or head and torso of the companion to simulate the companion lying on the bed covering. A user lying in a bed on one side of the bed looks to the other side of the bed and sees the companion&#39;s image, and since the image is life-sized, the user has the visual comfort of a companion when the user goes to sleep and when the user wakes up. The image can also be printed on the bed covering at a realistic sleeping location, for example, a dog at the center of the foot of the bed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to creating an appearance of a companionwith the user. More particularly, the present invention provides aprecisely placed image that allows a user to feel as if a companion isbeside the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In this day and age of families where both spouses work, whereindividuals travel and work abroad, where individuals often attendschool for long, extended periods of time, that is, not just elementaryschool, middle school and high school, but college and often times,three or more years of graduate school, companionship is at a premium.

When both spouses work, often times, one spouse will have to take abusiness trip and will not be home for days at a time. Without question,the two spouses miss one another and there is a desire, or maybe moreproperly stated, a need to provide the simulated physical companionshipthat is missing because the two spouses are physically apart.

Moreover, when a student engages in college and long, extended periodsof graduate school, such a student often times will have a significantother, or sometimes, a spouse, and that student, because she must attendschool in a certain location, will not be able to physically be with thesignificant other or spouse. There is a need to simulate the physicalcompanionship that the significant other or spouse would provide thestudent.

Additionally, there is a need to simulate the physical companionshipthat even a pet or other inanimate object offers. For many individuals,companionship of another person is not desired, but rather, an animal orinanimate object is a companion. For example, a family dog or stuffedteddy bear might be a desirable companion.

Companionship, although it can exist because somebody sees a weddingring on her finger, or because somebody can chat with a significantother or spouse on the telephone, it is not complete unless it ismanifested in a physical reality. There is a need for a device thatallows someone who is lacking companionship to be able to simulate thecompanionship that that individual is used to when her companionphysically cannot be near. Companionship is often reaffirmed in physicalform when one companion sends another companion a small gift to keep onher desk or at her bedside. Companionship can also be simulated in thephysical realm by merely displaying a picture at one's bedside or onone's desk.

Nevertheless, a gift or a simple 4 by 6 inch picture is just what itis—a symbol, but not convincing enough to simulate companionship. Thus,there is a need to provide a physical rendition of a companion thatappears to be that companion as nearly as possible, even though thecompanion is not physically present.

For many individuals, companions are most missed at particular times ofthe day. Often times when an individual first wakes up in the morning,the first person she wants to see is her companion. Similarly, rightbefore someone retires for the night and goes to sleep in her bed, thelast person she wants to see is her companion. Furthermore, if anindividual has trouble sleeping and wakes up in the middle of the nightworried about something, or feeling ill, or merely longing to feel as ifshe is lying next to her companion, the need is there to have acompanion, even though the companion is not physically present. Whilehumans respond to scent and sound, the ability to see a companionarguably overwhelms the other senses.

P.C.T. Publication No. WO2004/016883A1, published on Feb. 26, 2004, byPark, shows a room tent that has preprinted characters. While thecharacters could serve as companions for the user, the device is a roomtent, rather large, and does not realistically mimic an individual thatwould exist in real life. For example, the face shown in Park's deviceis much larger than the user, so much so that it would be impossible forthe user to believe that the face is similar to that of an actualphysical companion.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2005/0050634A1, publishedon Mar. 10, 2005, by Birchenough for a headboard for a bed shows aheadboard provided with one or more characters, images, texts, symbolsor pictures. The outer shape of the headboard relates to the characters,images, texts, symbols or pictures that are depicted on its surface.Unlike the present invention, Birchenough's device does not mimic anactual companion, but rather is merely a decorative piece that serves asa headboard. For example, the figures in Birchenough's device show alarger-than-life baseball glove receiving a larger-than-life baseball.It is inconceivable that a user would believe that the headboard ofBirchenough's device is an actual baseball glove and an actual baseball.Rather, the user would know that Birchenough's device is merely adecorative piece showing an enlarged baseball glove with an enlargedbaseball.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,362-B1, issued on Nov. 4, 2003, to Kimball showsbedding with multiple overlays and openings. Kimball's device shows thatpatterns and images can be placed in specific areas on bedding. However,unlike the present invention, Kimball's device in no way attempts toprovide any semblance of companionship for the user. Kimball's devicemerely presents part overlays.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,527-B1, issued on Jul. 3, 2001, to August, shows anapparatus for biophilically promoting personal relaxation, for reducingphysical and/or physiological personal stress and for expeditingpersonal recovery. August's device provides a user with a choiceselecting for viewing one or more high-resolution, spatially open,serene, natural landscape scenes in which the user is believed to havean innate, positive biophilic affinity on a fabric frame display membermounted upon a flexible wall partition, such as a hospital curtain, aceiling, a stand or other display member. Unlike the present invention,August's device is concerned with presenting a serene, positive scenefor the user. Unlike the present invention, August's device does notrecognize any solution to the problem of a lack of companionship, butrather, August's device attempts to transport the user to a sereneenvironment. In fact, August's device, as largely and grandly aspossible, appears to display a scene. Unlike the present invention,August's device is unconcerned with placement of an image on a medium.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,465-B1, issued on Jan. 16, 2001, to Deneau shows ahugging mattress and method of using and a sheet therefore. The sheet,having two walled slots or pockets that extend transverse, and nestingwithin two corresponding holes in the mattress. The mattress's holes goall the way through the mattress. The function of the holes is to extendthe normal pleasures of a mattress to allow hugging one's bedmate forextended periods of time without the crushing weight that one oftenfeels on its arms. Deneau's device is unconcerned with providingcompanionship, but rather, attempts to assist the user when hugging alive companion. Deneau's device, unlike the present invention, does notattempt to replicate a companion.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,558, issued on Apr. 17, 1984, to Alexander, shows abed covering having an overall pattern and a pocket integrated therein.Alexander's device allows a child to become part of the scene that isdisplayed on the bed covering, as the bed covering has a pouch ofsufficient size to accommodate a child as if the child is a babykangaroo in a mother's pouch. Unlike the present invention, Alexander'sdevice attempts to incorporate the user in a scene that is depicted on asheet or a bed covering. Unlike the present invention, Alexander'sdevice does not attempt to create a visual impression of a companion inbed alongside the user, but rather, Alexander's device offers afictional character, and physically modifies the bed sheet, so that theuser can become part of the fictional scene with the fictionalcharacter.

Thus, there is a need for a device that provides a realistic, visualimpression of a companion, so lifelike that upon glancing quickly, theuser will get the visual impression that the companion is beside theuser in a bed. While there are many devices that create visual scenes,or allow the user to become incorporated into a scene, the relevant artdoes not provide a visual substitute for a companion. Furthermore, therelevant art does not provide a visual substitute for a companion in thecontext of a bed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Providing a realistic life-sized image of a companion, the presentinvention provides a substitute for a companion in one of the mostintimate and personal ways possible.

According to the present invention, a user replaces the bed sheet or bedcovering on the user's bed with a bed sheet or bed covering that has alife-sized image of a companion lying in the bed. By providing alife-sized visual image of a companion on the bed sheet, the user, goingto sleep at night, can look to the user's left or right on the bed andvisually have the impression of the user's companion next to them, eventhough the user's companion is actually not present.

It is further contemplated that offering a realistic placement of aninanimate object or resting pet animal such as a dog, would similarlyprovide companion effects. For example, an image of a dog would appearon the bed sheet at the typical sleeping place of a dog. The typicalsleeping place could be at the foot of the bed sheet. This would providea realistic simulation of that companion on the bed.

Unlike conventional printed sheets, the present invention does not haverepeating patterns over and over again across the sheet, but rather, thepresent invention has a life-like image specifically placed to allow theuser to as best as possible visually have a reminder and a feeling ofcompanionship that looks identical or similar to the companion that isabsent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the present invention, with a user lyingthereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

With reference to FIG. 1, the present invention has a sheet (10) and apillow (90). The sheet (10), for purposes of explanation, has a midline(20), such that a user (30) is positioned on one side of midline (20)and an image (40) is positioned on the other side of midline (20). Sheet(10) is a traditional sheet that would go on a bed. According to thepresent invention, user (30) would place sheet (10) on a conventionalbed that user (30) sleeps on. The user would lie down upon sheet (10) toone side of midline (20). It is to be understood that midline (20) isnot a line that actually exists on the present invention, but is merelybeing used for descriptive purposes, so that the present invention canbe explained.

User (30) places its head toward the top (50) of sheet (10) and its feettoward the bottom (60) of sheet (10). On the other side of midline (20)of sheet (10) is image (40). Image (40) is a life-sized, realisticreproduction preferably, or an artist rendering, of a companion ormultiple companions of user (30). Image (40) is positioned to look as ifthe companion is sleeping or lying in the bed, or any other positionthat a companion might normally take next to user (30). The goal is toconvince user (30) as much as possible that image (40) is the missingcompanion, whether the missing companion be a spouse, a dog, a cat, oreven a child. When user (30) turns its head and looks across midline(20), user (30) will see image (40), and although certainly, user (30)will know that image (40) is not a real companion, the physicalsemblance and the realistic, real-life size of image (40) being placedon the other side of midline (20) creates a visual convincingrepresentation that a companion is present, even though the real-lifecompanion is absent.

Pillow (90) is provided with the head, or head and torso image of image(40) to more visually depict an actual companion lying on the other sideof midline (20) next to user (30). Pillow (90) will cover the headand/or torso of image (40), but because the head and/or torso of thecompanion is replicated on pillow (90), the user (30), looking acrossmidline (20), will visually think that image (40) is actually extendedfrom sheet (10) onto pillow (90).

It is important to recognize that while other relevant art providesvarious images, icons, symbols, and even cartoon characters and imagesof animals and people, the relevant art does not recognize that merelyputting an image on a sheet and/or a pillow provides a substitute for anactual physical companion. The present invention, in one embodiment, byrecognizing that midline (20) defines the area where the user (30) willrest on the bed, and image (40) will need to rest on the bed, takes thepresent invention a step beyond the relevant art. Another embodiment ofthe present invention provides image (40) of a companion, such as a dog,positioned in a realistic sleeping location on the sheet (10) at thefoot of the bed on the midline. In either embodiment, image (40) ispositioned at a location that an actual physical companion would chooseto rest.

In the present invention, image (40) cannot be regularly applied in apattern over and over across sheet (10) and pillow (90). To do suchwould render the present invention inoperative. For the presentinvention to work, midline (20) must be defined. One side of midline(20) must be reserved for user (30) and the other side of midline (20)must be reserved for image (40). Further, image (40) must actually belife-sized or image (40) will not visually look like the intendedcompanion.

For example, image (40) cannot be a 4 by 6 sized picture, meaning a4-inch by 6-inch sized picture of a companion. Moreover, image (40)cannot be a picture of a companion standing in a swimming pool andwaving hello. Image (40) must be an image of the companion that has thecompanion actually reclining on a bed, or sleeping on a bed. It iscontemplated that image (40) can be drawn by an artist, or preferably,can be taken from an actual photo of the companion or a realistic imageof a companion.

With pillow (90) in place, image (40) looks as if it is lying on sheet(10) and its head is residing atop pillow (90). However, if pillow (90)is kicked off sheet (10), or pushed off sheet (10), as often happenswhen people sleep in a bed, image (40) is still completely reproduced onsheet (10), such that the portion of image (40) that was covered bypillow (90) will be come visible when pillow (90) is removed, since theportion of image (40) that was covered by pillow (90) is merely aduplicate of the image atop pillow (90). Thus, in the middle of thenight, if user (30) happens to push pillow (90) off of sheet (10), image(40) will not appear to have been decapitated.

Because the present invention provides a visual depiction ofcompanionship on sheet (10) and pillow (90), the present invention isvery portable. Essentially, if user (30) is staying in a hotel overnightand desires to have the visual representation that the present inventionoffers of a companion, user (30) merely needs to put sheet (10) on aconventional bed and put pillow (90) atop sheet (10). It should beunderstood that pillow (90) will typically actually be a pillowcovering, although pillow (90) could be a conventional pillow.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the image (40) is positionedon pillow (90). The user (30) could pull a conventional blanket overuser (30) and sheet (10), such that most of sheet (10) is covered by theconventional blanket. In such case, there is little necessity for havingimage (40) disposed on sheet (10), because sheet (10) is covered and noteasily viewable by user (30). In such case, the image (40) on pillow(90) would show the head or head and torso of the companion.

The present invention can easily be effected via a computer and theinternet, as individuals could upload pictures of their companion lyingon a bed, and then those pictures could be conventionally applied tosheets (10), such that image (40) is created on the sheet (10).Essentially, an operator using the present invention could receiveuploaded photos on a website, then take those photos and place them onsheets, and then mail the completed sheets and pillows and/or pillowcoverings to the customer.

1. A device for providing companionship in a bed for a user, comprising:a photographic representation of a living entity shown in a realisticsleeping position; an image, said image comprising said photographicrepresentation enlarged to lifelike dimensions: and a sheet, said sheetbeing the sheet on which the user lies down, said image disposed thereonto look as if the companion is sleeping in the bed next to the user. 2.The device of claim 1, wherein said image is at least one person.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein said image is a least one animal. 4.(canceled)
 5. (canceled)
 6. (canceled)
 7. (canceled)
 8. The device ofclaim 1, further comprising a pillow case.
 9. The device of claim 8,wherein said image is partially disposed on said pillow case.
 10. Thedevice of claim 8, wherein a head of said image is disposed on saidpillow case.
 11. The device of claim 8, wherein a head and upper torsoof said image is disposed on said pillow case.
 12. (canceled) 13.(canceled)
 14. (canceled)
 15. (canceled)
 16. The device of claim 1,wherein said image has a head positioned at the point where a pillowwould be placed on the bed for the head of a sleeper.
 17. The device ofclaim 1, wherein said image has a head and upper torso positioned at thepoint where a pillow would be placed on the bed for the head of asleeper.
 18. (canceled)
 19. (canceled)
 20. (canceled)
 21. The device ofclaim 1, wherein said living entity is at least one of the user's reallife companions.
 22. The device of claim 1, further comprising a blanketthat covers said sheet so that said image is only partially visible. 23.A device for providing companionship in a bed for a user, comprising: aphotographic representation of a living entity shown in a realisticsleeping position; an image, said image comprising said photographicrepresentation enlarged to lifelike dimensions; and a pillow case, saidimage disposed thereon to look as if the living entity's head and uppertorso is sleeping in the bed on said pillow next to the user.
 24. Thedevice of claim 23, wherein said living entity is at least one of theuser's real life companions.